The string quartet is generally considered as the chamber-music genre of the classical era: invented by Haydn, elaborated by Haydn and Mozart, and brought to its compositional peak by Beethoven. All later quartet composers had to measure themselves against the works of these three masters. This applies first and foremost to Mendelssohn, who has always been called a “classical romantic.” His Quartet in a minor op. 13 in particular is said to have strong Beethovenian stylistic traits. It was composed in late summer and fall 1827, shortly after Beethoven’s late quartets appeared in print, works that Mendelssohn was no doubt familiar with. The Quartet in E flat major op. 12 was written two years later, during Mendelssohn’s first tour of England. A textually identical score of the two quartets is published in Henle’s Study Scores series (HN 9270).

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Preface

In a manner of speaking, the string quartet as a genre is the non plus ultra of chamber music in the Classic period; we might even say that it was invented by Haydn, elaborated together with Mozart and brought to a culmination by Beethoven. All quartets by later composers had, and still have, to bear comparison with the works of these three masters. This applies as well, even … more

Critical Commentary

About the composer

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

A German composer, conductor, pianist, and organist who already numbered among the most important composers in Europe during his lifetime. While still young he found a unique tonal language. Reflected in his oeuvre, which spans all genres, are the contradictory tendencies of the age – Classicism and Romanticism. His endeavors over the course his life to perform the works of Johann Sebastian Bach led to a “rediscovery” of that composer which continues unabated. His intensive engagement with Bach and his counterpoint influenced his own compositional technique.

1809

Born into a wealthy banker’s family in Hamburg on February 3. Escape to Berlin with his parents in 1811. First musical instruction from his mother.

1819

He becomes a pupil of Carl Friedrich Zelter.

1820

Joins the Sing-Akademie in Berlin.

1821–23

Twelve sinfonias for strings.

1825

String Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20.

1826

Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Op. 21

1827

Begins studies at the University of Berlin.

1829

Revival of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Berlin on March 11 and 21. Travels to England and Scotland.

About the authors

Ernst Herttrich (Editor)

Dr. Ernst Herttrich, born in 1942 in Würzburg, read musicology, history, German and theology at the universities in Würzburg and Cologne. In 1970 he earned his doctorate in Würzburg with a study of the expression of melancholy in the music of Mozart.

From 1970 to 1990 he was an editor at G. Henle Publishers in Munich, after which he was Head of the Beethoven Complete Edition for over 15 years. In 1999 he took over as Head of the Beethoven-Haus Publishers, and from 2001 was made Head of the Beethoven-Archiv, the research centre at the Beethoven-Haus.

He has been a visiting professor at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo and has undertaken several lecture tours both there and to Kyoto. His research interests include source studies, editorial techniques and music history. Herttrich’s publications include “Beethoven. Liederkreis an die ferne Geliebte” (Bonn 1999) and “Ludwig van Beethoven. Biographie in Bildern” (Bonn, 2000). Herttrich has edited over 100 Urtext editions for G. Henle Publishers.